Flushing apparatus for outdoor water-closets.



PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906.

W. U. GRIFFITHS. FLUSHING APPARATUS FOR OUTDOOR WATER OLOSETS,

APPLICATION FILED OWL-3,1904.

INVENTOI? I MM w/ mzssss A TTOBNEF.

UNITED PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM U. GRIFFITHS, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FLUSHING APPARATUS FOR OUTDOOR WATER-CLOSETS- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1906.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,WILLIAM U. GRIFFITHS, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flushing Apparatus for Outdoor Water-Closets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in apparatus for flushing out-door water closets, and its object is to provide an apparatus of such a character that it will not become frozen up and inoperative in cold weather.

In the accompanying drawings, I illustrate a good form or embodiment of my invention. Many variations in construction and arrangement may, however, be employed, Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure I is a view, partly in side and partly in sectional elevation; Figure II is a sectional view showing a modified construction of my invention; and Figure III is a sectional view having still another modified construction.

Referring to Figure I of the drawings,1 designates a closet of any ordinary and preferred construction which is provided with a hinged seat 2, and which is connected through the pipe 3 with the tank 4.

At the upper end of the pipe 3, a pipe section 5 is provided. The upper end of this enlargement is adapted to fit within an opening 6 formed in the lower side of the tank 4, and the said upper end of the pipe 5, which is flush with the bottom of the tank, is provided with an inwardly extending flange 7, the inner edge of which forms the outer edge of a port 8 opening from the said enlargement 5 into the tank 4.

The pipes 3 and 5 are integral and are connected to the lower side of the tank 4 by means of an outwardly extending flange 9 and screws 10. To prevent breakage between the said flange and the bottom of the tank, a rubber washer 11 is provided.

Extending through the said port 8 is a hollow cylinder 12, the external diameter of which is less than that of the diameter or width of the port 8, whereby an annular spaceis left between the periphery of the said hollow cylinder 12 and the circular edge of the port 8.

Secured to the said cylinder underneath the flange 7 a valve 13 is provided, the said valve being normally located a short distance below the under side of the said flange 7. If

desired, this valve may be supported in any other suitable manner and also the cylinder 12 may be located at some other point in the tank.

The lower end of the cylinder 12 is provided with a projection 15, which may be regarded as a valve stem, which rests upon a diaphragm 16 which extends across the lower end of the pipe 5. The upper side of the outer edge of the diaphragm l6 rests against a shoulder 20 formed upon the lower end of the pipe 5, and it is secured in position by means of an inverted truncated cone-shaped the port or opening 8 in the bottom of the tank 4, I have provided an operating rod having an enlargement or head portion 26, which is located underneath and in contact with the diaphragm 16. The operating rod is provided also with a stem or reduced portion 28, movably supported in the perforation 23, by which means the said rod is held in position and is guided in its vertical movements.

Although the said operating rod is illustrated as being in contact with the lower side of the diaphragm 16, it is understood that it may be located in such position that it is out of contact with the said diaphragm, the only result being that the said rod must move through a greater distance in order to bring the valve 13 into position to close the port or opening 8.

The lower end of the stem 28 is located in such position that it is adapted to be engaged by the projecting arm 30, connected to and extending rearwardly from the closet seat 2.

The rear end of the projecting arm 30 is provided with a weight 31, so that normally the seat 2 is tilted upwardly out of contact with IIO It will also be observed that when the seat 2 1s moved downwardly, it strikes the upper "end of and depresses a rod 35, the lower end of which is provided with a valve 36, which closes the communication between the water supply pi e 37 and the tank pipe 38.

Norma ly, the said valve 36 rests against its seat, and it is held in this position by means of a coiled wire spring 39 which surrounds the rod 35, and which is located beneath the shoulder upon the said rod.

It is to be understood that when the apparatus is not in use, the seat 2 is tilted higher than is illustrated in Fig. I, by reason of the weight 31, and that with this exception, the several parts of the apparatus are in the posltion illustrated in Figure I, and it will also be understood that in operation when a person is seated upon the seat 2, the latter rests upon the closet hopper 1, and that in moving to this position, it depresses the rod 35 and opens the valve 36, which permits the passage of water from the supply pipe 37 through the tank pipe 38 into the tank 4.

It will also be understood that as the said seat 2 moves downwardly, the projecting arm 30 moves upwardly, and the rear end thereof comes into contact with the lower end of the stem 28 and occasions movement of the same and its connected head portion 26 upwardly, which upward movement also occasions upward movement of the diaphragm 16-and the valve 13 to close the port or opening 8, whereby the water which enters the tank 4 through the pipe 38 is collected and retained in the said tank until the weight of the person seated upon the closet seat 2 is removed, upon which event the closet seat assumes the position illustrated in Figure I, and permits downward movement, due to gravity, of the valve 13 to open the port 8, at which time the water escapes from the tank 4 through the port 8 and pipe 3 and flushes the closet I.

It will be understood by mere inspection of Figure I, that when the closet is not in use the port 8 is open and consequently the tank 4 empty, and that by reason of this there is no chance of the passageway for the water between the said tank and the hopper 1 becoming obstructed by the freezing of the water therein.

Should it happen that the closet seat 2 is held down upon the closet for a length of time suflicient to permit the water to overflow the pipe 12, such overflow would pass downwardly through the said pipe and out through openings 41 and through the pipe 3 and thus prevent an overflow of the tank 4. The pipe 12 is guided in its movements by the cross pieces 42 extending from side to side of the tank 4. v

In Figure II, I have illustrated a slightly modified construction. This construction differs from that shown in Figure I in that it discloses means whereby the tank 4 may be located any desired distance above the closet hopper 1.

For the purpose of accomplishing this, I increase the length of the pipe 5 and provide a rod 43 of any desired length upon the lower end of the pipe or hollow cylinder 12. The lower end of this rod rests upon the diaphragm 16 and is operated in the same manner as is the corresponding parts shown in Figure I.

In Figure III, I have shown another modification in which the inwardly extending flange is omitted from the pipe 5. In this modified construction the pipe 5 is secured to the bottom of the tank 4 in the same manner as in Figure I, but the said pipe is located entirely beneath the bottom of the tank 4. The

bottom of the tank extends over and par tially closes the pipe 5, as indicated at 45.

In this construction, the opening or port 8 extends through the bottom of the tank itself, and not through the upper partially closed end of the enlargement 5, as is the case in Figure I. I

In order to prevent the freezing of the water in the tank pipe 38, I have provided a drain hole 44 to permit the escape of water from the said tank pipe after the closet has been used.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The combination of a flush tank provided with an opening or port, a closet hopper, a pipe connecting the said tank and the said hopper, the said pipe having an enlargement at its upper end adjacent to the said tank, the said enlargement extending transversely of the upper end portion of the said pipe, a flexible diaphragm extending across the lower end of the said enlargement, a hollow cylinder located in the said tank, the lower end of which projects through the said port or opening into the said enlargement, the upper and lower ends respectively of the said hollow cylinder being provided with an opening, and the lower end of the said cylinder being supported upon the said diaphragm, a valve secured upon the said hollow cylinder adapted to close the said port, a closet seat having an arm which extends rearwardly underneath the lower end of the said hollow cylinder, an operating device located intermediate the said diaphragm and the rear end of said arm, whereby the said diaphragm pipe, the upper and lower ends respectively of the said hollow cylinder being provided with an opening, and the said cylinder being supported upon the said diaphragm, a valve secured upon the said hollow cylinder underneath thebottom of the said tank and being adapted to close the said port, a closet seat having an arm which extends rearwardly underneath the lower end of the said hollow cylinder, an operating device located intermediate the said diaphragm and the rear end of the said arm whereby the said diaphragm may be lifted up by the lowering of the closet seat to occasion the closing of the said port or opening.

3. The combination of a flush tank provided with an opening, a closet hopper, a pipe connecting the said tank and the said hopper, a hollow cylinder located in the said tank, the lower end of which projects through the said opening and into the said pipe, the diameter of the said cylinder being substantially less than the diameter of the said opening, the said cylinder being adapted to permit water to pass therethrough from the said tank, a valve secured upon the said cylinder underneath the bottom of the said tank and being adapted to close the said opening, a flexible diaphragm associated with the said pipe, which diaphragm is located underneath the lower end of the said hollow cylinder, a closet seat, an operating device located underneath the lower end of said diaphragm, and means interposed between the said closet seat and the said operating device, whereby upon lowering the said closet seat the said device is operated to occasion movement of the said diaphragm, the movement of the latter occasioning movement of the said cylinder and valve to close the said opening.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have hereunto signed my name this 1st day of October, A. D. 1904.

WILLIAM GRIFFITHS.

In presence of THos. K. LANCASTER, LAURA KLEINFELDER. 

